Splash shield



March 4, 1947. c, F NORLIN 2,416,944

SPLASH SHIELD Filed April 28,-1945 T CLAREAI E/w /I Tia-7- I WW Patented Mar. 4, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE The present invention relates to splash shields adapted for releasable attachment with a shoe heel to be worn on rainy, wet days to break up and dissipate dirty water discharged from the plane of the heel cap during walking thereby preventing soiling of the wearer's stockings or other clothing.

The particular splash shield herein disclosed is in the form of an improvement over my prior Patent No. 2,292,466 to which reference may be had for further information relating to devices of this kind,

One of the main objects of the present invention is to devise a splash shield of optimum simplicity requiring a minimum amount of material for fabrication and which is die cut out of flat stock material with one operation, such shield including a predetermined arrangement of slits dividing such die cut member into the various portions which perform the functions for which this splash shield has been devised.

Other objects and advantages inherent in the construction of the splash shield disclosed and described shall hereinafter appear inthe following detailed description thereof having reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a shoe heel to which a splash shield has been attached, this shield illustrating a preferred construction of such a device;

Fig. 2 is a face view of the splash shield illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an edge view of the splash shield illustrated in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a shoe heel showing another modified construction of splash shield attached thereto;

Fig. 5 is a face view of the splash shield illustrated in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a face view of another modified construction of splash shield; and

Fig. I is ahorizontal sectional view taken through'a conventional shoe heel illustrating how the shield in Fig. 6 appears when attached to a .shoe heel, this figure portraying somewhat how the splash shields of Figs. 2 and 5 would also appear while attached toa shoe heel.

It is essential in designing a splash shield of this type for shoe heels that the shield will be relatively inconspicuous and yet be able to deflnitely and efficiently perform the purposes for which it is used. A shield of this nature and having the above requirements is illustrated in 2 Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and comprises a generally disc like member 2 preferably fabricated from resilient material or composition structures including rubber or other similarly textured material.

This shield 8 may be die cut as best shown in Fig. 2, and such member is provided with a plurality of slits 9 adjacently disposed as shown and terminating intermediate the length of the disc like shield member 8, such slits also terminating in spaced relation to the edge ll) of the shield.

In addition to the slits 9, such a member is provided with a transversely disposed slit II which severs the material between the slits 9 adjacent the edge III as shown in Fig. 2, such a transverse slit providing a band l2 and producing a fringe portion l3 which is employed for breaking up and dissipating the muddy water or other foreign elements that are discharged from the heel capof a shoe during walking in wet and muddy weather.

The shield 8 asillustrated in Fig. 2 andformed as shown therein by the slits also provides a remaining solid surface portion I which is adapted for engaging and conforming to the curvature of the rear portion of the heel at the point of attachment of the splash shield. Also, as seen in i Fig. 2 in dotted lines, the band I2 is adapted for being moved out of the plane of the shield body substantially into the dotted lined position to provide a means for encircling the heel as shown in Fig. 1.

As seen from Fig. 1, and through the dotted lines in Fig. 2, the band ends [5 and I6 which remain contiguous with the body of the shield, are more or less folded at these points l5 and I6 which flank the slits 9 that form the shield fringe. Therefore, by stretching the band [2 about the heel as shown in Fig. 1 with the points of pull upon the shield 8-being at l5 and I6, such shield conforms itself to the curvature of the heel andin saddle fashion causes the fringe Hi to fan out due to the radius of the heel and by the application of the pull at the points named. The shield B is normally applied to the heel with the fanned fringe portion extending somewhat below the plane of the heel cap I] in order that the fringe shall be in the direct path of the water which is thrown up through inertia while the wearer of the shield is in motion.

Furthermore, slight but rather inconspicuous kinks appear in the material at the points l5 and it by reason of the band being turned into the plane of the heel periphery from the flattened plane of the body of the shield itself, and such kinks are indicated in more exaggerated form in Fig. 7 demonstrating the capacity of a shield of this type to create a slightly greater spread or fanning eflect of the fringe of the .shoe shield 8 directly transmitted to the shield by the twisting of the band adjacent the solid portion of the shield indicated at It in Fig. 2. Therefore, the

entire shield is made of one continuous. solid piece of material so formed in shape and contour to be rather inconspicuous and such member is slitted in the way above described to pm vide a fringe and to'divide the balance of the shield into a band and a solid portion for the purposes described.

Referring now to Figs. 4 and 5, the shield of this construction is indicated generally by the reference numeral l8. In this case the shield is provided with a plurality of slits N which cut directly through to the edge III of the'shield.

Furthermore, this construction includes a transverse slit 2| adapted for dividing the solid por- 1 tion of the shield 24 into a band 25 and the shoe 2o engaging solid portion 26. Attention is also directed to the fact that the band 25 is made of varying widths in this particular construction terminating relatively close to the side edges of the splash shield at 21- and 2'8 to reduce the twist at these pointswhich may be desirable in certain forms of the shields.

The shield illustrated in Fig. 6 is very much the same as the Fig. 5 construction but illustrates another variation in that the band forming slit 30 is cut transversely into the shield with a shorter arc to provide a thin band portion 3| with heavier folding portions 32 and 33 adjacent the side edges of the shield.

When the shield of the Fig. 6 construction is applied to the heel of a shoe as shown in Fig. '7,

the twists at the sides of the shield as shown at said member into a vertical heel engaging portion and an elastic horizontal band for encircling said heel to releasably secure said memberto the heel with said fringe terminating rearwardly of the heel cap and slightly below the plane thereof.

3. A splash shield for footwear comprising a flat member, said member having slits therein arranged to form a fringed part, said member having another slit therein terminating in flanking relation with respect to said fringed part to form a band movable out of the plane of said flat member for encircling the heel to secure said member to said heel with a portion of said fringed part disposed in line with the plane of the heel galoshes and the like which can be accomplished by using the same form of shields and attaching such shield to the heel with the bands as shown. This can be done to be removable or else the bands may be vulcanized directly to the overshoe heels.

Other variations and changes may also be made the invention. Such changes and variations shall be governed by the definitions expressing the salient features of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A splash shield for footwear comprising a continuous solid disc-like member, said member having a plurality of slits in one portion thereof to form a fringe, said member having an elongated slit. therein arranged to further divide said member into a vertcial heel engaging portion and a horizontal band for encircling said heel to position said member with the fringe terminating to the rear of the heel cap and slightlybelow the plane thereof.

2. A splash shield for footwear comprising a thin flat solid member of resilient material, said member having a plurality of slits in one portion thereof to form a fringe, said member having the member to encircle a heel to releasably secure said member thereto with the several slitted portions forming a fringe for disposition adjacent the plane of the heel cap. 7 I

5. A splash shield for footwear comprising a fiat member, said member having a plurality ofslits in a portion thereof terminating intermediate the width of said member and in predetermined spaced relation with respect to one edge thereof to form a fringed portion, said member having another slit therein located to form a band of varying width movable out of the plane of said member to encircle a heel for attaching said fringed portion thereto, said band having one dimensional limit portion of its width connected with the heel and the other dimensional limit portion remaining contiguous with said flat member. v

6. A splash shield for footwear comprising a flat member, said member having a plurality of slits in a portion thereof terminating intermediate the width of said member and extending generally in one direction and adjacently to form a fringe, said member having another slit therein arranged to extend generally across said member but in another direction to form a band movable into a locationapproximately at right angles to the general plane of said member and in a position to encircle 'a heel, said band being adapted to urge and bow the remaining portion 'of said member in saddle fashion againstthe curvature of said heel to fan said fringe adjacent the heel and partially in the plane of the heel cap.

CLARENCE F. NORLIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 626,629 French May 16, 1927 4 another slit therein arranged to further divide- 

